Emma: Cubs Invested In Win-Now Mode
By Chris Emma-
(CBS) "Wait til next year" took on a new meaning for the Cubs the past few seasons, with patience being more than a virtue on Chicago's north side. As the losses piled up and it was difficult to see the light, patience was a must.
The Cubs have been building. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer took a farm system with little talent and made it tops in baseball. They bought low in the free-agent market and sold high at the trade deadline. Countless careful, calculated moves put the Cubs in better position.
Win-now mode is taking place in Wrigleyville. The Cubs' prospects are ready to become the core, so the baseball brass is working a roster around that, as the plan has been since Epstein took to town in 2011.
In came Joe Maddon, an elite manager, the man Epstein believes can lead the Cubs to a World Series. Small pieces were put in place this offseason to better the ballclub for 2015 -- Miguel Montero, Tommy La Stella, Tsuyoshi Wada, among others. The goal was to build around names like Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro, Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and what's to come in the Cubs' future.
Around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Cubs made their greatest investment in the future -- more than any other move made by Epstein in his three years as baseball boss. Giving Jon Lester the most lucrative deal in club history changes everything for the state of a franchise starved for winning.
Six years and $155 million for an ace like Lester means the Cubs are ready to contend for the Central Division, the National League and the World Series. He's the man they want on the mound in a decisive Game 7.
The false narrative through these losing seasons is that the Ricketts family is cheap, that they weren't willing to spend. The articles about "debt" became laughable. The Cubs have a cash cow, and they've taken out a loan.
Soon, the Cubs will lock in a lucrative television deal that will bring overwhelming profit to the organization. Their hope is to get in the business of a regional television network, which is valued at $3.9 billion for the Yankees and a remarkable $8.35 billion for the Dodgers. Even if -- and most likely when -- the Cubs have to settle for a local television deal, the price will push much higher than the reported $250,000 per game on WGN and $500,000 on Comcast SportsNet.
"The TV deal is really the magic bullet, the paradigm-shifter that's going to put us in a whole new level," Epstein told reporters in October.
"Right now, we have all the payroll flexibility we need at this moment for 2015."
It's finally happening. The Cubs are spending as if they had billions available already from the television deal. More importantly, they're driving up the price of these ongoing TV negotiations by making the club a winner, ready to compete right now.
Chicago is essentially spending with the rising value to come over the course of seasons competing for division crowns. Television networks won't be able to say no to broadcasting a team fighting for a World Series.
There's money, and plenty of it, on the north side. More and more is coming, too. In the wee hours of Wednesday, the Cubs put a down payment on their future, a $155 million investment in contending this season.
It's win-now mode for the Cubs.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
